Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1887-07-30

Monday" in short-not because It is or was
not just as good as any other day, but be-
cause the designations and excuses of Satur-
day night and Sunday left their subjects out
of sorts and unwilling to "buckle down" to
steady work. Printers and plumbers are
proverbially given TO the observance of blue
Monday, and now that Saturday is practi-
cally added to the other two there are three
days in the week upon which work cannot
be pushed, no matter how urgent the neces-
sity and which will be dread to the house
keeper because even leaky pipes and ill-act-
ing metres cannot be remedied. 1t is pretty
difficult to get work done and done decently
as 1t is. The quality of labor does not inn
prove with the advance in pay, and there is
little satisfaction in methods or results.
But the half-holiday movement makes the
outlook at present harder rather than easier.
1t multiplies the demands for charity and
for aid which already make life burden to
those who must sustain it for themselves and
others, and it reduces the amount of supply
of productive work. Perhaps that is all
right, or will be when the new methods have
adjusted themselves to the conditions. But
in the meantime poor women and children
are not benefited they suffer. The women
cannot go into the country they are only too
happy if their husbands give them money to
pay the rent and buy something for the Sun
day dinner at home. They have no clothes
to go in the country; nowhere to go when
they get there; and what would they do with
three, or four, or five crying children-and
the babyf These women do not love the
country. They never saw 1t at its best; early
in the morning, or in the moonlight. The
rare "trip" only represents to them much
work in preparation, much starching and
ironing of children's clothes, hot, dusty
journey, hot. dusty road at the end of it,
and home again with clothes spoiled, money
spent and WEAKNESS.
Besides the country takes away their pa
irons. 1t takes away family washing, the
occasional chance of good meals, the fire.
quent gift of something in the way of food
and clothing for the children. They would
like to go where it was not so hot, and occa-
sionally lucky one gets chance in the
country for a week, or two, with the baby"
through a mission or some outdoor fund,
and then retains a vivid and pleasant re-
membrance of it; but not many can leave
the "childer," or the husband, for that mat
ter with any certainty of finding either
where they left them when they return.
Vigilance, they have learned by experience,
is the better part of virtue.
To another class of women, the Saturday
holiday movement is hailed as real boom.
This consists of the wives of business men
many of whom are thereby induced to OBJ
tain summer homes for their families near
enough to New York to enable them to go
in and out every day. or on Friday to stay
over till Monday or Tuesday, thus prevent
ing the breaking up" which so often takes
place, and the actual separation of the man
from his family for a part of every year.
The fact often means much more than the
continued unity of the family circle. 1t
means better summer quarters, less isolation,
more society, ready communication and all
those modern cOnveniences and comforts
which people are accustomed to in cities,
but which are considered essential to women
and children in the country. business
man will not go far from his telephone, and
nearby resorts on the Hudson, Harlem
and New Haven roads are being built
up by summer residents, who, if they can
only combine lake with good table and
the absence of the mosquitoes that devour
the New Jersey coast will pay any price On
Saturday last $4,000 people out of 100000
left New York city, packing every available
line of cars and boats. l left with the rest,
and found a spot on the Harlem road, at
Pawling, the last station on the line, which
is worth mention. Pawling is a village
among the grazing farms and hills of
Duchess county, N. Y, and is 700 feet above
the sea level. My objective point was the
"Dutcher" House, the first appearance of
which-though it is a very handsome, modern
building, extensive and picturesque in its
style of neutrality-suspicious. every one
against it on account of its nearness to the
railroad. How could any one be so foolish
as to build so large and fine house in such
location was the general remark. "Wait
till We see our back yard" was INTERCEPTED
by the porter, good-natured Irishman. So
we waited, and the "back Yard more than
fulfilled expectations. The house is popu-
larly known as butchers Folly" it was
built by Mr.. butcher, who makes $4,000
per annum by supplying New York with
milk. He started to spend $4,000 on his
project and ended by expanding 100000. 1t